Welcome to Day Eleven of Fiction University’s At-Home Workshop: Idea to Novel in 31 Days. The first twelve days will focus on developing the story and getting all the pieces in place so we can more easily plot the entire novel.
Today, we’re looking at the theme.
What’s Your Theme?
We often think of theme as this big literary thing lurking at the edges of our work—the stuff of English classes and literary novels, not something that applies to commercial fiction. But theme is really just the underlying element that connects all the pieces of a novel together. Like romance is about love, horror is about fear, mysteries are about justice.
Theme is the soul of the novel.
Theme deepens the story and makes it resonate with readers. A great book is about something, and that’s never just the plot mechanics.
Why theme is important: Themes are universal, which helps readers connect to the novel on an intimate or profound level. Readers might not even consciously pick up on it, but by the end of the novel, they’ll feel like the book was about more than just the plot. From a technical standpoint, theme is another way of adding structure to our writing so when we have to decide between the protagonist doing A or B, we can see which one illustrates the theme better. That can connect to previous scenes, and lay the groundwork for future scenes. When we describe settings, details, or actions, we can consider words and imagery that reflect the theme in some way. While we don’t have to connect everything to the theme, it can be a useful tool in weeding out what’s unnecessary and what’s worth keeping.
For pantsers: If you’re the type of writer who doesn’t want to know how a novel will turn out before you start writing it, theme might be the guiding light you’ll love--a structure without outlines, and a guide that lets you be as spontaneous as you want.
Take a look at some of your favorite novels—especially the best sellers. These are the types of novels often criticized for not being “literary” enough, despite the millions of readers who love them. And a book millions of readers love is doing something right, even if it’s not your type of book.
Jurassic Park is just a novel about dinosaurs that get loose and eat people, right? But look closer and you’ll see the themes all throughout the novel: Should humans play God with science? Are there lines we shouldn’t cross just because we can? Should the past remain in the past? Serious, meaty topics explored using something most people loved as a child—dinosaurs. The plot makes the themes accessible.
Explore possible themes for your novel:
1. What larger concepts do you want to explore with your novel?
2. If you had to pick one cliché or adage to describe your novel, what would it be? How might you adapt that as your theme?
3. What are common problems in the novel? Do they point to a theme?
4. What are common character flaws or dreams?
If you’re unsure what the theme of your novel is, try thinking about what the novel is about on a larger, emotional scale. Not the details of the plot, or the character with the problem, but the general emotion the plot will help illustrate. Determine what about that concept (love, fear, etc.) is being explored. That’s probably the theme.
EXERCISE: State your theme and describe how you might illustrate that in the novel.
Write down the theme of your novel. If there are any character themes, write those down as well. Be as specific or as vague as you need to at this stage. If you have only a general idea so far, that’s okay. You can always refine it later.
Those following along with the PYN book: Workshop Four goes into more extensive detail on developing your theme, with more exercises and tips on finding the deeper meaning in your story.
Tomorrow, we’ll look at choosing and developing a setting.
Follow along at home with the book, Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure. Get
more brainstorming questions and things to think about,
in-depth articles, and clear examples of every step from idea to
novel. Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Google Books | Books-A-Million | Chapters/!ndio
Ebook: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Overdrive | Kobo | Inktera | Chapters/!ndio
Go step-by-step through plotting and writing a novel. Learn how to find and develop ideas, brainstorm stories from that first spark of inspiration, develop the right characters, setting, plots and subplots, as well as teach you how to identify where your novel fits in the market, and if your idea has what it takes to be a series.
With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure offers ten self-guided workshops with more than 100 different exercises to help you craft a solid novel. Learn how to:
- Create compelling characters readers will love
- Choose the right point of view for your story
- Determine the conflicts that will drive your plot (and hook readers!)
- Find the best writing process for your writing style
- Create a solid plot from the spark of your idea
- Craft your one-sentence pitch
- Create your summary hook blurb
- Develop a solid working synopsis And so much more!
Available in paperback and ebook formats.
Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book. She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.
When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.
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